Ccha

The CCHA announced Wednesday that Tom Anastos, the league’s commissioner since March 1998, has tendered his resignation to accept the position of head coach at Michigan State. Anastos enjoyed a four-year playing career at Michigan State, during which time the Spartans swept the regular-season and playoff titles each year. He has served as a hockey administrator for the past 16 seasons. Fred Pletsch, the league’s associated commissioner, will take over for Anastos on an interim basis.

SOUTH BEND -- Some great saves by goalie Mike Johnson, coach Jeff Jackson's 300th win and a strong break from a 2-2 tie in the second period. There was a lot to like Thursday for the sellout crowd at the Joyce Center Fieldhouse in the home opener for the Notre Dame hockey team in a 4-2 win over Lake Superior State. Billy Maday took Riley Sheahan's quick pass in front of the net and flicked it in for a short-handed goal at the 11:29 mark of the second period and Notre Dame, which never trailed, took the lead for good, 3-2. "I was the first one in on the puck," said Sheahan.

SOUTH BEND -- Relaxed, refreshed, determined. Any of the words applied to Notre Dame's hockey team Sunday night at the Joyce Center. Playing its third game in three days in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association second round playoff series, Notre Dame controlled it from the outset en route to a 4-2 victory over Lake Superior State (13-17-9). The win not only gives the No. 8 Irish (23-11-5) the best-of-three series, but advances them to Detroit for Friday's semifinal matchup against Miami at 4:35 p.m. (EDT)

It's all in view. The Notre Dame hockey team can go a long way toward clinching a bye in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association Tournament and getting to host second-round CCHA playoff games with a sweep this weekend at the Joyce Center. The Fighting Irish can also take a huge step toward a possible conference championship with wins over last-place Bowling Green Friday and Saturday night. Second place Notre Dame is one point behind Miami, but the RedHawks have played two more conference games than the Irish.

Notre Dame's hockey future remains a bit fuzzy, but the world around it is certainly coming into focus. Five of ND's Central Collegiate Hockey Association brethren were invited Thursday to jump to the Western Collegiate Hockey Association for the 2013-14 season. Should Alaska Fairbanks, Bowling Green State University, Ferris State, Lake Superior State and Western Michigan all accept, it would leave ND as the only team left in the conference three years from now. As it stands, the six teams that will constitute the WCHA following the 2012-13 season are Alaska Anchorage, Bemidji State, Michigan Technological, Minnesota State, Mankato, St. Cloud State and Northern Michigan, the latter of which accepted an offer to leave the CCHA to join the WCHA beginning in 2013-14 back on July 20. When the Big Ten announced its intention to create a conference for the 2013-2014 season, the WCHA lost Minnesota and Wisconsin and the CCHA lost Michigan State, Michigan and Ohio State.

Notre Dame junior center Anders Lee has been selected first team all-CCHA Fellow junior Bryan Rust was an honorable mention choice to the all-conference team while center T.J. Tynan and defenseman Robbie Russo received votes in voting done by the conference's coaches. Lee, who was an honorable mention selection as a sophomore, finished second in the voting among conference forwards, as he received seven first-place votes for 44 points. This marks the second time that the Irish captain has been selected to a CCHA all-conference team, as he was a second team choice as a freshman in 2010-11.

Getting playing time late in what would be his final game at Notre Dame was not exactly the way senior backup goaltender Mike Johnson wanted to go out. Not like that -- trying to provide a spark for his struggling teammates in the first round of the NCAA tournament. It meant the Fighting Irish were down, and things were looking bad. They didn't get any better in the 5-1 loss to No. 4 seed St. Cloud State in the Midwest regional semifinal. "It's tough to swallow right now," said Johnson, who relieved starting goalie Steven Summerhays in the third period on Saturday in Toledo, Ohio, with the Irish trailing 4-0. "I'm sure looking back on it, it'll mean a lot more than it does right now. I love this game, so to be out there for the last time was pretty tough.

Stephen Johns found himself in a familiar place at the end of Notre Dame's Mason Cup-clinching victory over Michigan last Sunday. The penalty box. He and teammate Jeff Costello were sent there following a scuffle behind the Irish net with 11 seconds left before the celebration of winning the CCHA's final tournament title began. "Me and Jeff were talking in the penalty box; it's only fitting for me and him to be in the penalty box, to celebrate coming out of it," Johns said.

SOUTH BEND - A few hours after beating Michigan in Detroit to win the CCHA's final tournament championship, Notre Dame found out exactly what that victory was worth. After bringing home the Mason Cup one last time, the Fighting Irish earned the final No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, and will head to Toledo next weekend to take on No. 4 seed St. Cloud State at 1:30 on Saturday. But as Notre Dame learned back in 2009 when it was the top overall seed facing underdog Bemidji State, you can throw out the seeds for the 16-team field.

DETROIT -- While this outcome was not out of the question, it may have been hard to believe back in January. Fighting through a 1-6 stretch to open the second half of the season, Notre Dame's hockey team was facing a similar collapse to the one it experienced the year before when it missed the NCAA tournament after a strong start. But the Irish fought through that rough patch and have come out the other side a stronger team. That journey back reached its high point Sunday when the Irish won the final Mason Cup. After 42 seasons of play, the Central Collegiate Hockey Association has come to its end, and Notre Dame is its final champion as the Irish received goals from Anders Lee, Austin Wuthrich and Jeff Costello, and dictated much of the action in a 3-1 victory over Michigan at Joe Louis Arena.

Notre Dame junior goaltender Joe Rogers was selected as the winner of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association's (CCHA) 2013 Terry Flanagan Award. The award was presented Friday night at the CCHA's annual postseason awards show that was held at the historic Fox Theatre in downtown Detroit. The award is named after the former Bowling Green assistant coach who died from cancer in 1991. The award honors a player for perseverance, dedication and courage while overcoming severe adversity.

DETROIT -- Heading into Saturday's matchup against the CCHA's goaltender of the year, Ohio State's Brady Hjelle, Notre Dame coach Jeff Jackson knew his team had to do two things. 1. Get traffic in front of Hjelle and block his view of the puck. 2. Get him moving side-to-side with odd-man rushes. Despite 41 saves by Hjelle, the Fighting Irish did both of those things and managed to slip two goals past the senior goaltender, then added an empty-netter late in a 3-1 victory in the first CCHA tournament semifinal of the day at Joe Louis Arena.

The first thing Jeff Jackson talks about is the process, always focused on the next game. What he tries to avoid is any discussion of the "Big Picture. " But with only two more days of play left before the Central Collegiate Hockey Association is gone for good, the next game is the big picture. Four teams descend on Detroit this weekend to take part in the final CCHA tournament semis and finals at Joe Louis Arena. Three-seed Ohio State takes on second-seed Notre Dame (23-12-3)

SOUTH BEND - Notre Dame's Bryan Rust capped off a three-goal weekend with a slick move to his backhand. That's his go-to shot, has been since he was a kid, and he dialed it up again Saturday night. It came on a penalty shot, with the game against Bowling Green tied, and a trip to Detroit on the line. Rust scored on that penalty shot, his second goal of the night, to give Notre Dame the lead. Anders Lee then made it hold up with his 19th goal of the season, which turned out to be the game-winner in ND's 4-3 CCHA tournament quarterfinal victory over BG, to complete a sweep of the Falcons.

SOUTH BEND -- The physical rigors of college hockey can be an eye-opening experience for a freshman. The first time an 18-year old rookie, used to dominating the competition at the high school or junior level, goes into the corner to dig out a puck against a gritty CCHA team with a roster full of older, bigger, stronger, and craftier veterans, can be a memorable learning experience for most youngsters. Notre Dame freshman left winger Thomas DiPauli is not like most youngsters.